Having arrived back from just shy of a month from riding the French and Swiss Alps and racing gravel in Belgium I found myself switching back into UK life by visiting one of the most quintessential British pastimes: The Country Show.
Visiting the show was an entirely personal endeavour to exercise my curiosity and interest in history with the focus on capturing the essence of what was taking place, finding the interesting faces among those attending; the enthusiasts of a very British niche that is so often overlooked in a society that thrives on the new, convienent, efficient and novel.
I didn’t intend on writing anything about the show or necessarily sharing the photos either, but after reviewing what I shot on the day I thought it would be nice to collate them all in one place for others to enjoy.
It's quite easy when documenting anything with a camera in hand to become "a photographer" but it is quite a balancing act to also be in the moment and experience what is before you. This is something that has challenged me over and over during the years, but I feel it is something that is becoming almost second nature to me now.
While walking the show and taking in the various passion projects in the form of steam engines, it's impossible to ignore but equally lovely to see rural traditions being kept alive by multiple generations.
It’s obvious to see the community and passion shared among those involved. There is knowledge being passed from those who have been enthusiasts for decades, knowledge of which was likely handed to them by a family member who worked these machines out in the field, to those who are barely 10 years old, forever keeping an old-time tradition young and present.
As I mentioned before I have just come back from a summer in the Alps. Whenever I am abroad I always come away with the feeling that there is a cultural identity within the places I visit that is distinctly their own. It is often said we have lost our own identity as a nation, but I think it is still alive during the late summer in the more rural areas of the country with small-scale gatherings showcasing our heritage. It may not be overly current but it certainly looks as if it will be around for many more generations to come.
The Berwick St John Show itself is a biennial event in aid of charity, which for the past six years has been in aid of the Salisbury District Hospital Stars Appeal. This has resulted in tens of thousands of pounds raised in 2022 and looks likely to meet or exceed that again this year.
Below you can find a gallery of the photos I captured of the day with a bonus view from above when we flew over later the same day in the microlight.
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